CURRENT PROJECTS

This page provides a summary of some of the current projects being undertaken by Grampus. For more details on any of these projects please do not hesitate to contact us.

 Grampus has started a new Leonardo da Vinci Pilot Project called 'Unlocking Hidden Heritage'. The project involves running a series of interactive training actions to survey, understand and interpret hidden heritage, including re-awakening traditional skills across Europe

Anglo Dutch Wood Pasture (NP 472). This project is in the beautiful Geltsdale in the North Pennines. Working with the East Cumbria Countryside Project, Grampus has developed models for community engagement in the management of ancient wood pasture. The project is linked to sites in the Netherlands through Staatsbosbeher (like the Dutch Forestry Commission) and there has been an exchange of personnel and skills. The project focuses on using ancient, traditional and sustainable techniques of growing newly regenerated trees inside deadhedge enclosures, whilst allowing native breeds of cattle to continue grazing outside these enclosures. This means that the ecosystem has all the benefits of grazing and ‘dunging’ (which encourages insects and thus birds) but new trees grow. The ancient trees in the Geltsdale (Binnie Banks) wood pasture are of major cultural and environmental significance.

Anglo Romanian Lime Burning (NP 364). In Romania they still make lime in the traditional way, in a local village kiln called a ‘cuptor’. We joined a village partnership called ‘Grup Var’ (the Lime Group) to re-learn skills and test traditional lime-based products. This project involves an exchange of skills with 9 people travelling in each direction between western Romania and County Durham. Two burns took place in the North Pennines courtesy of P & S Coverdale based at Levy Pool near Bowes and Frank Beddard of Cowshill near Stanhope. There was then an extensive period of testing the product. The VAR Initiative Limited is a new organisation, which grew out of the project. In 2007, the project won a Durham County Council Environment Award.
Grampus is proud to be a partner in the 'Bassenthwaite Reflections' Heritage Lottery funded project. This exciting project will include a series of events and surveys which celebrate the cultural landscape of the Bassenthwaite Lake watershed in the Lake District National Park. Click the logo on the left to visit the Grampus Bassenthwaite Reflections pages.
Grampus have recently started a new Culture 2000 Project- CHANTICA (Culture, History and Nature Together in Contemporary Art). Our aim in the CHANTICA project is to bring together young people from the rural outlying areas of Europe to celebrate and value their own cultural landscapes through music, drama fashion, applied art and all of the traditional skills and resources of their heritage.

Ashgill Forest Theatre.

The theatre development, now finished has created an outdoor facility for drama and exhibitions in a typical gill woodland environment. The stage is on a natural rock platform surrounded by trees, grasses and ferns and the seating area for 100 people is shaded under an ash woodland canopy, on the other side of the gill and separated from the stage by a stream and pond. The setting will hopefully inspire new and innovative productions. It has already begun staging events, in 2005 we hosted Fashion in the Forest, a project involving 60 youngsters from 6 European countries. There has also been the Solway Saga and various workshops held there. We hope to have a storytelling festival in 2007-8. The Forestry Commission and Cumbria Woodlands supported the creation of the theatre, under the 'Forest Futures' initiative. As with all Grampus projects, the theatre development hopes to combine rural skills, heritage and sustainability, in an innovative way, to stimulate rural development.

Archaeology Training - 'European Archaeology Skills Exchange'

For the past three years Grampus have been managing archaeological training projects in Europe. During 2008 we will be funding students and recent graduates from the UK to take part in excavations being run by our European partners. These placements are funded by the EU Leonardo da Vinci Programme. Click here to visit our main archaeology page and to learn more about the 'European Archaeology Skills Exchange' project.

Traditional Skills Training - 'Training In Contemporary Applications of Traditional European Crafts' (TICATEC)

Grampus are keen to ensure the survival and appreciation of the rich heritage of traditional skills and crafts that exists in Europe. Much of our past and current work focuses on this theme. During 2008 we will be funding craft students from the UK to travel to one of our European partner countries to undertake a 4-week traditional skills placement. The skills that the participants will develop include weaving, lace-making, macrame, dying techniques, ceramics, wood carving, coppice working, green woodworking and metal work. These placements are funded by the EU Leonardo da Vinci programme. Click here to visit our main traditional skills page and to learn more about the 'TICATEC' project.

Developing Environmnetal Skills in Rural Europe - 'DESIRE'

Grampus are managing a Leonardo da Vinci project in 2008 to provide environmental placements in Europe for UK students. The project is called 'Developing Environmental Skills In Rural Europe' (DESIRE) and offers 4-week funded placements in Slovakia, Ireland, Cyprus, Germany, Lithuania and the Czech Republic. Click here to visit our main environmental placements page.

Vikings in Cumbria

During 2003 Grampus carried out a feasibility study into the creation of an archaeological reconstruction centre in West Cumbria. The aim of the centre is to interpret the wealth of evidence from the Viking-Age in the area and to create a reconstructed environment for tourists, school groups, experiementation and research. The centre will include a purpose built visitor centre, designed by a local architect to reflect the shape of a hogback stone. The results of the feasibility study were very encouraging and the project is now at full application stage.

Anglo-Cypriot Training Exchange.

Grampus staff first made contact to the Cyprus College of Forestry in March 1997 and in the November of that year, made a formal co-operation agreement. Since then, with assistance from the 'Leonardo da Vinci' programme of the European Commission (DG-EAC), some 70 young people and 20 trainers have travelled from the UK to Cyprus for periods of up , to undertake training and work across a wide range of land-based topics, including forest recreation, traditional charcoal burning, wildlife management, erosion control, turtle protection, restoration of mining sites, etc. During the same period, around 30 Cypriot foresters have come to the UK to learn about multi-functional forest management. As a result of the exchange, a series of new initiatives are planned, including the linking together of the Forestry Commission's Visitor Centre at Whinlatter in the Lake District, with the Troodos Forest Park in Cyprus and their new visitor facility. From it's original forestry base, the training exchange has expanded to include the Cypriot NGO 'Medi-Terra Cypria', who specialise in culture and heritage and various cement, concrete, etc., organisations.

Europe and Kenya, joint projects to address environmental, social and cultural issues and opportunities.

This exciting new project is in the developmental phase and Grampus staff visited Kenya in 2002 and 2003, to locate network partners and suitable projects. The aim is to get young Kenyans and young Europeans, working together to gain valuable training and work experience. There is much that those involved in the project can learn from each other and it is essential that reciprocation is an in-built element. Europeans travelling to Kenya will learn something about local agriculture, forest management, wildlife management, archaeology, local culture, art, traditional skills, medicine and religion, all underpinned by the incredible resilience and inventiveness of native African peoples. The Kenyans will work alongside European students and young people with much knowledge and many skills associated with these disciplines; they will gain confidence and be reminded that their own skills, experiences, ingenuity and inventiveness are something highly valued outside of Africa. The project is currently supported by the British Council in Mombasa and the holiday company, African Safari Club (Switzerland) and further support is being sought from a range of corporate sponsors, as well as the EU and UN. Network partners in Kenya have been visited and include the Kenya Wildlife Service, Watamu Turtle Watch and the Gedi National Monument.